Spitfire Mk.IX

Fighter

Supermarine

On arms of British aircraft Spitfire Mk. IX has arrived in June, 1942. This airplane had engine of more high-power motor " 60-th series ".
On rate of climb Spitfire IX in 1943-1944 had not equal among the piston fighters.

Spitfire IX was issued in two versions: with a wing of type With (as at Spitfire Vc), and with a so-called "universal" wing such as Е, allowed to install armament or from four cannons, or two 20-mm cannons and two 12,7-mm machine guns Browning М2 (at plants usually established last combination).
The majority Spitfire Mk. IX have constructed with wing Е.
Since February, 1944 Spitfire IX started to deliver to Soviet Union.

All 1185 Spitfire IX types have imported into USSR (1183 Spitfire LF IX , low-altitude version) and two Spitfire HF IX (high-altitude). The HF and LF different modifications differed the motors: on LF usually there were Merlin 66 engines, and on HF - Merlin 70.

Though Spitfire IX has not left an appreciable track on fronts of Great Patriotic War, however in its end and in the first post-war years Spitfire IX became irreplaceable in a role of a high-altitude interceptor of air defence.